Watermelon steaks are cooked slices of

watermelon The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a Glossary of botanical terms#scandent, scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is plant breeding ...

. Cookbooks sometimes suggest watermelon steak as a

meat substitute A meat alternative or meat substitute (also called plant-based meat, mock meat, or alternative protein), is a food product made from vegetarian or vegan ingredients, eaten as a replacement for meat. Meat alternatives typically approximate qual ...

for

vegetarians Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. A person who pra ...

. However, watermelon is not a nutritional substitute for traditional

steak A steak is a cut of meat sliced across muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally Grilling, grilled or Pan frying, fried, and can be diced or cooked in sauce. Steaks are most commonly cut from cattle (beefsteak), but can also ...

, as it is lacking in protein and other nutrients found in meat.

Preparation

Slices of

are typically prepared by either

grilling Grilling is a form of cooking that involves heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat and v ...

pan frying Pan frying or pan-frying is a form of frying food characterized by the use of minimal cooking oil or fat (compared to shallow frying or deep frying), typically using just enough to lubricate the pan. In the case of a greasy food such as bacon, ...

baking Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but it can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot Baking stone, stones. Bread is the most commonly baked item, but many other types of food can also be baked. Heat is ...

, or

roasting Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizat ...

. Depending on the method, cooking can take a few minutes to over two hours. When well cooked, most of the fruit's water evaporates, concentrating flavor and texture while leaving the watermelon tender.

Texture and flavor

If the watermelon is baked, the resulting texture can be like that of raw fish. ''

Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the now defunct ''Boston Phoenix'', '' ...

'' Writer Robert Nadeau compared a grilled watermelon to seared, raw

tuna A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bul ...

. He added that the flavor of the fruit "isn't sweet, although it isn't meaty either, but enough of the browning comes through to make it a little like a piece of meat."Food & Drink , Metropolitan Club
/ref> Cookery writers Andrew Schloss and David Joachim described the result as "kind of like a fillet steak."

References

External links

Recipe from ''The Boston Globe''

Recipe from whataboutwatermelon.com
{{Melons Barbecue Meat substitutes Watermelon dishes Vegan cuisine Steak

Preparation

Texture and flavor

See also

References

External links